"Niles!" Ananias half-heartedly called out the moment he spotted that dark-skinned retainer was finally idle and alone, lazily jogging up to him for good measure. "Hey, Niles!"
Niles stopped where he was upon hearing his name and turned around to see where it was coming from, only to smirk sadistically upon seeing who it was who was calling out to him. "Why, if it isn't the wandering shadow himself! Have you come by to be mine for the day, because in all honesty, that particular role has already been taken;" he condescendingly began to shoo Ananias away with his hand, "so why don't you run along and find another body to latch onto?" He then blinked in confusion for a second before holding his chin and muttering, "Actually, now that I think about it, it would actually be more accurate to call you a lost and lonely pup than a shadow. Ha! Yes, I like that indeed!" He went back to trying to wave Ananias off again. "Now run along, little one. Run along with your tail between your legs and go play with someone else today, okay?"
"But didn't you want to hear about my past?" Ananias asked.
Niles raised his brow in surprise. "Hmm?"
"Didn't you want to hear about my past?" Ananias patiently repeated. "You know, before we got sidetracked last time over what type of person I was?"
Niles' eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Why yes, of course!" He scratched the back of his head in confusion. "How strange! I had completely forgotten about that until now." He then let out a shocked gasp before his face began to scrunch up and he turned to Ananias with an accusing grimace on his face. "You dirty dog!" He jabbed his index against Ananias' chest. "You made yourself appear to be so utterly pathetic just to weasel your way out of sharing your past with me!" He let out a bitter laugh as he folded his arms disapprovingly. "I would actually be quite impressed if I were not so ashamed for falling for such a pathetic trick!"
Ananias frowned. "But it wasn't a trick," he dully insisted. "I just have a habit of bringing a lot of unrelated and unimportant tangents into a conversation."
Niles laughed at this. "Please! You cannot honestly believe that I'd fall for the same trick twice, can you?"
"But it's not a trick," a stone faced Ananias argued. "It's all true. I'm really that bad at keeping a conversation."
Niles smiled incredulously at him. "Sure you are. It is just as I am truly terrible at making others feel completely comfortable around me."
Ananias' eyes narrowed in confusion. "Was... was that sarcasm?"
Niles nodded. "Indeed, it was."
Ananias raised his eyebrows in surprise. "From you of all people?"
Niles frowned at this. "What exactly are you saying? That I am not allowed to use sarcasm in any way, shape, or form? Because let's be honest, I know very extensively about all three of those things," his eyes narrowed mischievously, "if you know what I mean."
"... I'm sure that you do," Ananias monotonously replied. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I never accused you of NOT knowing them, but that's neither here nor there. I'm just saying that sarcasm isn't really your forte. Like, your speech pattern is a little bit more focused on sharp remarks and strange wordings, you know?"
"Hmm," Niles said as he took a moment to honestly consider what Ananias had said, "yes, I suppose that you have a point there. Though a little bit of dabbling into new and exotic territory couldn't hurt from time to time, now would it? If anything, it should always be exciting, don't you think? The excitement... the anticipation... the thrill... the finish. It's all one great, big adventure, you see."
"Wow, you're quite the scholar, aren't you?" Ananias innocently asked.
Niles let out a small gasp of surprise upon seeing that his double entendres still seemingly had no effect before letting out a defeated sigh, frowning, and muttering, "Yes. Definitely. How could I not? The art of literature is just so fascinating."
Ananias simply shrugged at this. "If you say so."
Niles sighed once again in exasperation before folding his arms and saying, "Well, Ananias, this was indeed an... interesting chat that we have had today, but I do must be running off now. Places to go, people to see and all."
Ananias nodded. "Okay then. I guess we'll continue this conversation later then, huh?"
Niles smiled cheekily at him. "I'll definitely be looking forward to it." The two of them then went their separate ways and, after Ananias was most definitely out of sight, Niles shook his head and muttered, "Gods, how can talking to someone possibly be THAT difficult?" He then smirked smugly to himself. "Well, no matter. In the end, I was finally able to learn about that elusive past of h-". He then stopped himself in his tracks, a completely flabbergasted look slowly creeping onto his face. "My gods! He did it again! That pathetic little trickster actual managed to get me with the same trick again!" He then began rubbing his hands in anticipation. "Oh, that does it! Now... it's personal!"
Author's Note: After Niles will be Effie, followed by Female Corrin, Benny, Anna, Ophelia, Camilla, Gunther, Setsuna, Kanna, Selena, Beruka, Xander, Azura, Flora, Odin, Laslow, Rinkah, Arthur, Silas, and Leo. Got someone you want to support with Ananias? Request it. Remember, all Nohr first generation characters, Soliel, Ophelia, Anna, Kanna, Rinkah, Subaki, and Setsuna are allowed to support with him as well and it is a first come, first serve system.
